Biomedical & Pharmacology Journal Vol.

8 (March Spl Edition), 25-30 (2015)

A Study of Factors Affecting Juvenile Delinquency

MAZINANI NOUROLLAH1, MAZINANI FATEMEH2 and JAFARI FARHAD 3*

1
Economic law MA & Attorney at law, Tehran, Iran .
2
Public law MA, Tehran, Iran.
3
MD.MPH. Specialist of Community Medicine, Department of Health and
Social Medicine, School of Medicine Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
*Corresponding author E-mail: jafari@shahed.ac.ir

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bpj/551

(Received: February 10, 2015; accepted: March 10, 2015)

ABSTRACT

Children and juvenile delinquency is considered as one of the problems and concerns of
different countries. This phenomenon has a growing trend in our country as one of the youngest
countries in the world. This study aims at investigating the factors affecting juvenile delinquency.
This research is a cross - sectional study performed on 250 subjects including 200 male
juvenile delinquents and 50 female juvenile delinquents aged 9 - 18 years and sentenced in
juvenile institution and tribunals responsible with addressing the children’s offenses in Tehran. The
data collection tool was an information form completed through interviews and studying the records
of the subjects. SPSS software for data analysis and frequency distribution tables and chi-square
test were used. In this study, 62% of young people aged 17-18 years were studied among which
80% is male and 20% female. Besides, 48% of them were educated at guidance school level and
50.8% of them did not live with their parents. The crimes committed in order of frequency were:
Theft, evil-doing, drugs, mischief, mayhem and 40.8% of them were addicted. Moreover, gender
and education level as well as occupation and education level of their mothers were significantly
associated with delinquency (P<0.05). Additionally, no significant relationship was observed among
the marital status, place of residence, family size, birth order, educational backwardness, performing
religious duties, education level, fathers’ job, level of income and criminal background of their
family members. A significant correlation was observed between the separation from family and
addiction, with delinquency type, as well as addiction of families with the addiction of the juveniles
(P<0.05). In this study, various demographic, social and familial factors, such as education,
occupation, separation from family and drug addiction have turned out to be influential on the
development of juvenile delinquency.

Key words: Delinquency, Juveniles, Influential Factors.

INTRODUCTION delinquency is caused by multiple reasons, i.e.,

Children and juvenile delinquency is one
of the complex social issues that all communities
are grappling with and despite various measures,
not only its prevalence has not diminished, but also
has intensified and broadened. Delinquency should
be considered a sort of behavioral imbalance. While
it originates from the internal and individual
motivations of people, takes effect from social and
environmental factors as well. Therefore,
biological, psychological and social environmental
factors1. Statistics indicate that in 1997 there were
approximately 8.1 million delinquent juveniles in
the United States and 49% increase in the
delinquency rate has occurred during the years
1988 to 19972. In our country, during the years after
the Revolution for various reasons, such as war,
cultural and economical consequences of rapid
population growth and its disorders, the number of
juveniles and young people experiencing social
26 NOUROLLAH et al., Biomed. & Pharmacol. J., Vol. 8(March Spl Edition), 25-30 (2015)

deviance increased significantly3. Since, more than as frequency distribution tables and chi-square test
12 million juveniles (12-18 years) are living in our were used.
country at the present time (4), juvenile delinquency
issue is very important especially due to the RESULTS
sensitivity of this age range and that the children
and juveniles in each community are the According to the results, the majority of
institutional investors and a significant correlation the surveyed juveniles (62%) were in the age group
is observed between the prosperity of society and 17-18 years, 80% males and 20% were females
the enjoyment of them from a comfortable and and 4.8 percent were married, 48 percent had
pleasurable life. So if you do not pay attention to intermediate levels of education. In 58.8% of cases
the roots of juvenile delinquency at the present the families were consisted of 6-9 members and
time, in addition to wasting efficient resources of had birth order of 1-3 in 58.4% of cases. The majority
the community and jeopardizing the individual and of them (81.2%) were residents of urban areas and
social health of other members of the community (65%) owned private residential homes. their fathers
you will create an underlying for their were self-employed in 37.2% of cases and 88% of
delinquency in adulthood as well3. Hence, this study them had housewife mothers. 30.4% of them had
aims at investigating the causes and factors that illiterate fathers and 36% of them had illiterate
provide diversion and delinquency of the juveniles. mothers. 66% of them had families with an income
less than 1 million Rials per month. Most delinquent
METHODS
Table 1: Frequency distribution of the type of
This descriptive-analytical study is a cross- crimes committed by the subjects studied
sectional one conducted on more than 250
subjects, including 200 male juveniles and 50 Type of crime Frequency Percentage
female juveniles aged 9-18 years and sentenced
at juvenile institution and special tribunals Theft 74 29.7
responsible for addressing offenses of children in Drugs 41 16.4
Tehran. The data collection tool is information form Mischief and Mayhem 41 16.4
containing 38 questions related to personal and Murder 14 5.6
identity information and the objective questions Evil-doing 55 22
were along with open and closed questions and Two or more crimes 10 4
multiple choice answers that were completed Other crimes1 15 6
through interviews and reviewing their documents Total 250 100
and records. After data collection, SPSS software
1-Other crimes mean traffic offenses, fraud, etc.
for analyzing data and statistical techniques such

Table 2: Determining the relationship between gender and type of delinquency

Gender Males Females

Delinquency Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage

Theft 69 34.5 5 10
Drugs 36 18 5 10
Mischief and mayhem 39 19.5 2 4
Murder 13 6.5 1 2
Evil-doing 23 11.5 32 64
Two or more crimes 6 3 4 8
Other crimes 14 7 1 2
Total 200 100 50 100
 NOUROLLAH et al., Biomed. & Pharmacol. J., Vol. 8(March Spl Edition), 25-30 (2015) 27

juveniles (50.8%) did not live with their parents.

Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage
The reason for the separation of 18.4% of them

100

100
100
100
100
100

100
from family was divorce of parents. 80.4% of them
were suffering educational backwardness and the

Table 3: Determination of the relationship between the level of education of juveniles under study with the type of delinquency

Total
most common cause for this (60.8 percent) was
dropout. The entertainment of majority of them (53.3

14
74

41
41

41

10
55
percent) in the leisure time was Radio and
Television. The majority of them did the religious
duties of prayer (48.4%) and fasting (72.8 percent).

13.3
14.3
5.5
1.4

4.9
2.4
24.8% suffered from physical diseases and 72.4%

-
were experiencing mental disorders among which

Diploma
33.6% suffered from a variety of depression. 29.6%
were convicted of theft (Table 1), 33.8% had a

3
1

2
2
2

-
previous history of crime.

The first crime of mass majority of them

High School
(64.4 percent) had occurred between the ages 16-

13.5

25.5
21.4
4.9
22

10
-
18 years and the first crime committed by 31.6% of
them was theft. 38% were fully aware of the crime
they were committing. And 39.2% mentioned bad
friends as the reason for committing the crime.

14
10
2
9
3

1
-
Total of 40.8% of delinquent juveniles were
Guidance School

addicted to smoking, and 18.8% were drug addicted

53.7
35.1

46.7
53.7

60
50

30
and 18.8% were experiencing less than 1 year of
addiction. In 26.2% of the subjects under study,
family members were addicted and in 21.2% the
drug was opium. Furthermore, in 32.2% of cases 33
22
26

22
7

3
7
family members had a history of committing crimes
and 16% were related to their fathers and theft
practice (9.6%) In this study, no significant
correlation was found between gender and type of
26.8
36.5

17.1

13.3
Primary School

9.1
50
-

crime (P=0.000) (Table 2). There was a significant

relationship between the levels of education of
juveniles with the type of delinquency (P=0.000)
(Table 3). The highest level of education of
11
27

5
7

5
2
-

delinquents at all crimes has been guidance school

level. Percent of murder in high-school education
group was noticeable. A significant correlation was
12.2
13.5

14.3

26.7
2.4

10
Illiterate

obtained between the level of education (P=0.016)

-

and mothers’ occupation (P=0.025) with the type of

delinquency.
10
5
Mischief and mayhem 1
2

1
4
-

In addition, a significant correlation was

obtained between the type of juvenile residential
Two or more crimes

home with the type of delinquency (P =0.032). No

significantly relationship was obtained (P>0.05)
Other crimes
Delinquency
education

between the marital status, place of residence,

Evil-doing
Level of

family size and birth order with the type of

Murder
Drugs
Theft

delinquency. Between the educational

28 NOUROLLAH et al., Biomed. & Pharmacol. J., Vol. 8(March Spl Edition), 25-30 (2015)

backwardness, family income, educational level
and occupation of the fathers with the type of
delinquency there was no significant relationship
(P>0.05). Between the separation from family and
the type of delinquency a significant correlation was
found (P=0.005). (Table 4).
Most of the people who live with family
had committed mischief and mayhem. Also, the
most frequency in the group that lived separated
from the family was for the thieves group. Because
between the reason for committing a crime by the
juveniles according to themselves with the type of
delinquency a significant relationship was observed
(P =0.000). The perpetrators of the crime of theft
have introduced poverty as a main reason. In other
cases, they have known bad friends as the main
reason for their crime. Between doing the religious
duties and the type of their entertainment in leisure
time with the type of their delinquency there was no
significant correlation (P>0.05). And the relationship
between physical illnesses and psychological
disorders by type of delinquency was not significant
(P>0.05). Between parents’ drug addiction with
juveniles’ addiction (P=0.000) and juveniles’
addiction with the type of delinquency (P =0.045)
there was a significant correlation. And between
the history of crime, criminal family background
and parent’s addiction with the type of delinquency
no significant relationship was obtained (P>0.05).

Table 4: Determining the relationship between the studied Juveniles

in terms of life with family with the type of delinquency

Living with family They live with family They do not live with family
Delinquency Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage

Theft 28 22.8 46 36.2

Drugs 17 13.8 24 18.9
Mischief and mayhem 29 23.6 12 9.4
Murder 9 7.3 5 3.9
Evil-doing 26 21.1 29 22.8
Two or more crimes 3 2.4 7 5.5
Other crimes 11 8.9 4 3.1
Total 123 100 127 100

DISCUSSION and in studies conducted by Sadafi 6 ,

Based on the results of this study, the
majority of delinquent juveniles were placed in the
age group 17-18 years old. In a study by Sadafi6,
Hussaini7 and Seif8 the same results were obtained
and unlike Shokoohijam’s study 9 the ages of
majority of juveniles were obtained 14-16 years.
Perhaps, because the juveniles are at the peak of
the maturity crises, they commit more crimes in this
age. Most juveniles under study had families with
6-9 members that is similar to the results of other
studies conducted by Sadafi 6, Hussaini 7, and
Pyrasteh10 and may be indicative of the fact that
most delinquent juveniles are living in crowded
households. In this study, most Juveniles did not
have sufficient literacy (due to their age). Therefore,
this has been associated with their delinquency
Ansarinezhad11 and Seif the same results were
obtained. Accordingly, it can be deduced that most
delinquents are illiterate or poorly educated people
and this can justify the role of education in raising
awareness and insight of people in preventing their
diversion and deviance and of course, their low
education may be the reason of delinquency. The
majority of delinquent juveniles had illiterate
parents, that is, similar to Sadafi6, Hussaini7 and
Seif’s results8. In this study, majority of juveniles did
not live with their parents and this has been an
important factor in the development of delinquency.
While in the study of Sadafi6 and Seif8 most of them
were under the supervision of their parents.
Problems resulting from their separation from
parents may affect their personality, psyche and
ultimately their behavior and norms and play role
 NOUROLLAH et al., Biomed. & Pharmacol. J., Vol. 8(March Spl Edition), 25-30 (2015)
in leading them to inconsistencies and deviations.
In addition to this, nearly half of all delinquent
juveniles were addicted. In the study conducted by
Hussaini7, similar results were obtained. In this
study, there was a significant relationship between
gender types of delinquency and theft is the crime
of the most of the males and evil-doing has been
the most common case among female juveniles.
The reason can be found in the living environment
and social conditions of these people which needs
further studies. Furthermore, between marital status
and singularity of juveniles with the type of
delinquency no significant relationship was
observed. However, due to the low number of
married juveniles no reliable analysis can be
presented in this regard. Other studies had not
investigated in this regard too. A significant
relationship between literacy levels of juveniles
with the type of the delinquency was obtained. Shah
Hoseyni12 and Allen- Hagen & Sickmun13 reported
that the relationship was significant. In other words
most illiterate juveniles committed theft, and evil-
doing has been the crime mostly committed by
juveniles with higher levels of education. It seems
that act of theft by illiterate juveniles may be due to
poor education and entering the labor market, and
earning low income and financial need and
committing evil-doing by juveniles with higher
education level is due to greater participation in
community and educational environments and
facing with the opposite sex. The relationship
between occupation and education level of parents
with the type of delinquency in juveniles was not
significant. But between the occupation and the
level of education of mothers with the type of
delinquency of juveniles a significant relationship
has been created. In this study, the juveniles with
illiterate mothers were committing theft usually and
the juveniles whose mothers had high-school level
of education or diploma were committing mischief
and mayhem. Perhaps because of financial need,
the juveniles with housewife and worker mothers
committed theft more. Explaining that why juveniles
that have staff mothers commit evil-doing, needs
more investigation. In addition, there was no
significant relationship between performing
religious duties with the type of delinquency that is
consistent with the findings of Ansarynezhad et al.
Religion is a powerful deterrent against deviations
and deviances. Religious inertia and destabilization
29
of religious orientations can lead people to
delinquency. Although it has not been proven in
this study, there was no significant correlation
between psychological disorders of juveniles with
the type of delinquency which is in contrast with the
study of Allen- Hagen & Sickmund13 in which this
relationship was significant. Also between juveniles
who lived with family and those who did not live
with family and the type of delinquency a significant
correlation was obtained. In Ansarynezhad et al11
and Shah Hoseyni’s study, this relationship was
also significant 12 . Delinquents’ attitudes and
behaviors in the community are largely associated
with the characteristics of the family environment
and the unfavorable conditions of his life outside
the family. Additionally, the juveniles who lived with
family compared to those who did not live with family
have committed mischief and mayhem and theft
more because of the inconsistencies and the
present deficiencies available in family or financial
needs of these individuals outside the family. In
addition, the relationship between committing
delinquency by juveniles in their views with the type
of delinquency was significant. Similarly, Hosseini7
and Shokoohijam 9 reported such significant
correlation. Undoubtedly, inappropriate
relationships and friendships, economic poverty
and its consequences and improper family
environment can have a crime-producing effect on
people. A direct relationship between parental
addictions with juveniles’ addiction can be
observed. Furthermore, there was a significant
relationship between juveniles’ addiction and the
type of their delinquency that is similar to Allen-
Hagen & Sickmund13 and Hussaini7. Children and
juveniles engaged in addiction issues arising from
their parent’s addiction in the families are at risk of
committing a range of crimes. This issue can be
justified according to their imitation from their
parents. In this study, the addicted juveniles had
committed theft more. Obviously, addiction creates
needs that satisfying them is not easy and requires
a great expenditure. Over a period of addiction and
getting more immersed in, it is impossible to escape
from it. The addicts because of financial need and
the lack of control over their body and mind have
no choice but to comply with the demands of their
inner demon (i.e. drug addiction) and this is where
the drug is considered as a delinquency factor.
30 NOUROLLAH et al., Biomed. & Pharmacol. J., Vol. 8(March Spl Edition), 25-30 (2015)
CONCLUSION
Delinquency is a very complex social
phenomenon. In recent years a lot of energy and
time have been spent for explaining and describing
its rationale1. The problem of juvenile delinquency
is a real case in our society. Obviously, if the
predisposing causes of crime and delinquency are
not investigated in accordance with the terms and
conditions, this phenomenon will become
pervasive and will threaten the future-makers of
the country and also the country. The present results
show the effect of various demographic, social and
REFERENCES
1. Najafi, Tavana, Ali, criminology, second
edition. Tehran: Ayandeh Publications
(2000).
2. Puzzancherac M. Delirquency. Cases
waived to criminal court 1988-1977. Fact
sheet. Washingeston.DC: U.S. (2000).
3. Ahadi Hasan. Investigating factors affecting
behavioral differences and students
delinquency. First Edition, Tehran (1987).
4. Statistical Center of Iran. Statistical Yearbook
of 2000.
5. Shoarinezhad Aliakbar. Psychology of
Juveniles’ Growth and Maturity. Fourth
Edition. Payam Noor University Press, 1972.
6. Sadafi Zabihallah. Social impact of
committing crime with emphasizing on
familial, social and cultural factors affective
on juvenile delinquency. Master’s thesis,
Tehran, Faculty of Humanities, Shahid
Beheshti University (1992).
7. Hosseini Seyedqasem . Evaluation of
psychosocial in one hundred juniviles
residing in Tabriz prison. Magazine Eslah-
va-Tarbiat (Correction and Rehabilitation)
issued in August, the Fifth Year, No. 55, Pages
31-32 (1998).
8. Seif Susan. Familial influential factors in
juvenile delinquency. Law and Justice
Magazine issued by Court of Law Fall 32:
66-72 (1999).
9. Shokuhijam, Marayam. Sociological study of
familial factors such as educations, employment,
separation from family, addiction, etc in the
incidence of juvenile delinquency that should be
solved. In short, every step toward a healthier society
and personality of juveniles and improving the
social living environment, ensuring the health and
safety facilities and presenting formal and informal
educations in all areas of juveniles’ development
should be taken in particular moral growth based
on the true faith criteria and undoubtedly, this will
lead to reducing and eventually eradicating this
social problem14.
cultural and geographical factors in
delinquency of children and juniviles
juvenile institution of Tehran. Master’s thesis,
Tehran, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad
University (1999).
10. Bahram Pirasteh. Characteristics of
delinquent children and juveniles,
Correction and Rehabilitation Section of
Ardabil Province. Correction and
Rehabilitation Magazine, 5: 5-6 (2001).
11. Ansarynzhad Nasrallah. Comparative study
of biological and familial status of delinquent
and non-delinquent children and juniviles.
MA thesis. Tehran: Faculty of Human
Sciences, Tehran University (1996).
12. Shah Hoseyni, Tayebeh. Influencing factors
on juvenile delinquency and the role of
juvenile institution in changing and
correcting attitudes and behaviors of the
delinquents M.A Thesis, Tehran, Payam Noor
University (1998).
13. Allen- Hagen & Sickmund. The Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP). November. Avialable
from: www.dii.state.fl.us/RND/Index.html
(1995).
14. Navabinezhad Shokooh, Normal and
abnormal behaviors in children and juveniles
and the measures to control and treat
disorders, Tehran: the Ebtekar publishing
Organization (1982).